Steam-trap



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. NLDIXON in E. E. ALLLBEE.

STEAM TRAP.

No.r 564,979. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No NIodel.)

l R. M. DIXON 8a E. E. ALLBEE.

ySTEAM TRAP.

Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

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' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. M. DIXON an E. B. ALLBEB. STEAM TRAP.

No. 564,979. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

(No Modem UNITED STATES Param* Fries.

ROBERT MUNN DIXON, OF EAST ORANGE, AND ELMER- E. ALLBEE, OF ARLNGTON,NEl/iT JERSEY.

STEAM -TRA P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,979, dated August4, 1896.

Application iiled March 25, 1895. Serial No. 543,166. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, ROBERT MUNN DIXON, of East Orange, county of Essex,and ELMER E. ALLBEE, of Arlington, county of Hudson, State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

The object of our invention is to produce an automatic steam-trapdesigned, for example, to drain the water of condensation from the pipesof a steam-heating system and so constructed as to be extremelysensitive and responsive to slight changes in temperature, and which, onaccount of its sensitive quality and its compactness, is less liable tofreeze than traps at present in ordinary use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is an elevation of our trap 5Fig. ll, a top plan View; Fig. III, abottom plan view; Fig. IV, a

central longitudinal section of Fig. l; Fig. V,-

a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1V. Fig. Vl is a view of thevalve-stem support; Fig. VII, a tcp plan view of the thermostat-support.

Referring to the iigures on the drawings, l indicates the shell of ourtrap, which is preferably cast with a threaded inlet-port 2, astem-bearing 3, and a stuiiing-box 4. A terminal cap 5 is preferablyscrewed to the end of the shell and is designed to receive ascrewthreaded valve-seat thimble G, whose upper part '7 defines thevalve-seat.

8 indicates a valve provided with a packing-ring 9, designed to closeupon the valveseat, and a stem l0, which is carried upon a valve-support1l. The valve-support is in turn, by screws l2, united toathermosiat-support 13, the screws being yieldingly supported, as bycoiled springs 14, which tend to counteract any force that wouldseparate the valve-support from the thermostat-support. Thevalve-support and the thermostat-support consist, preferably, of threearms, as shown in Figs. VI and VII. The thermostatsupport is preferablyprovid ed with a stem l5, screwed into the upper part thereof, forexample, and which, moving through the bearing 3, is packed by a gland16, controlled vby screw-bolts l? in the usual manner. The upper part ofthe stem is preferably screwlthreaded, as indicated at 1S, and moveswithin an internally-screw-threaded collar 19, supported by arms 2O uponthe shell l. A wheelhandle 21 is designed to actuate lthe stem l5, andwhen the desired adjustment is obtained the stem may be locked by meansof a locknut 22.

By the mechanism above described the distance between the packing-ring 9and the valve-seat 7 maybe regulated and fixed. In practice, thepacking-ring is adjusted at a sufiicient distance from its seat topermit the water of condensation to escape through the thimble 6, thethermostat being designed to automatically1 close the valve when thewater of condensation has escaped and the temperature of the steam israised sufliciently to expand the thermostat. The mechanism abovedescribed may therefore be called the coarse adjustment mechanism.

A minute opening 23 in the valve-seat may be provided for the dischargeof a minimum amount of water of condensation when the valve is closed,the main object of the valve being to provide for the discharge of largeaccumulations of water, such as may occur under widely-varyingconditions.

In providing for the automatic closing of the previously-adjusted valvewe employ a thermostat of peculiar construction. It is made up ofalternate elements of metals of different expansions, each couple addingan increment of expansion to that which it receives. For example, theoutside element 2i preferably consists of a cylinder of high eX- pansiveproperty-as, for example, brass and is secured, as by rivets 25, to theannular rim 26 of the thermestat-support. The extreme inside element 27consists of a metal of lower expansive property-as, for example,cast-iron. It its nicely around the valvestem l0, its lower end beingfree to move thereon, as will be necessitated by the differences in themetals of which the stem l0 and the sleeve 27 are composed. The upperend of the sleeve is, however, preferably provided with an internalannular ange 2S, that overlaps a bench 29 on the stem l0. The lower endof the sleeve is provided with an exterior annular flange 30, which isdesigned to support an adjacent element of the thermostat.

ICO

Theoretically, the outside element 2li of the thermostat might restdirectly upon the eX- terior ilange 30 of the interior element 27, andin that way the differences between the expansions of the two elementswould actuate the valve-stem l0. The degree of movement of thevalve-stem, however, would be so minute as to be of little value inpractice. Therefore it is necessary to employ a number of elementsbetween the outside element 24 and the inside element 27, each alternateelement being composed, respectively, of metals of differentcoefficients of expansion. These elements are united with one anotherand with the outside and inside elements by the ernployment of flanges3l, resembling in structure and office the iianges 29 and 30, alreadydescribed. From this description it will appear that as the outsideelement 24: becomes heated it will expand, and its end, which engageswith the flange 3l of the adjacent element, will move that element acertain distance in the direction of the valve-seat 7.

The adjacent element, however, is also heated and expands; but,possessing less expansibility, the distance of its upper end from thenormal position will be the difference between the expansion of the twoelements. This difference of expansion will communicate itself to thenext pair of elements, and so on, until the full complement ofthermostatic movement is communicated to the stem lO. This movement ofthe stem l0 will represent the difference of expansion of the two metalsmaking up the different elements multiplied by the number of elementalcouples.

In the drawings, for example, ten couples are shown, and the motion ofthe valve would be, therefore,ten times the difference between theexpansions of the two metals of which each couple of the thermostat iscomposed. The force of the thermostatic couples tending to close thevalve by the means of the valvestem l0 exerts upon the valve-support lla force which tends to compress the springs ll. Therefore, when thethermostat is contracted after expansion, the force of the springs lawill tend to retract the valve-stein l0 and insure the separation of thevalve from its seat. NVhen, therefore, the temperature of the thermostatis lowered by the presence of water of condensation in the trap, thevalve will open and allow the water to escape. As the water is drivenout by the incoming steam,the steam takes its place in the trap, raisesthe temperature of the thermostat, and closes the valve.

The construction of the trap and. its eX- ternate elements of thethermostat above del scribed.

l. In a trap, the combination with a shell, valve and valve-seat, of athermostat interposed between the shell and valve, composed 7 ofelements of different expansions of cylindrical form and arrangedcoaxially, certain of said elements or all of them being provided withterminal flanges designed to support an adjacent element, substantiallyas specified. j

2. In a trap, the combination with a shell. valve and valve-seat, of avalve-support, a thermostat andthermostat-support,the valvesupportyieldingly secured to the thermostatsupport, and coarse adjustingmechanism for regulating the position of the valve, substantially as setforth.

3. In a trap, the combination with a shell. valve and valve-seat, of avalve-support, a thermostat and thermostat-support, screws uniting thethermostat-support to the valvesupport, springs yieldingly supportingthe screws upon the thermostat support, and coarse adjustment mechanism,substantially as specified.

4. In a trap, the combination with a shell, valve and valve-seat, of avalve-support, a thermostat-support yieldingly secured to thevalve-support, a thermostat secured to the thermostat-support, andconsisting of elements of di fferent expansions united together and tothe thermostat-support and valve, respectively, substantially as setforth.

5. In a trap, the combination with a shell, valve and valve-seat, of avalve-support and thermostat support yieldingly united together, athermostat operatively uniting the valve and the thermostat-support,coarse adj ustm ent mechanism for regulating the valve, and lockmechanism for locking the coarse adjustment mechanism, substantially asset forth.

In testimony of all which we have hereunto subscribed our names.

ROBERT MUNN DIXON. ELMER E. ALLBEE. Vitnesses:

J. A. DIXON, E. W. BULKLEY.

IOM.

